1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a database system, and more particularly to a database design and maintenance system and method that includes a software suite designed to assist users with creating, storing, updating and reusing full-text and bibliographic databases.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the digital age, a growing number of companies are realizing the need to better organize their information. Many of these companies have accumulated a vast amount of information and data over the years, typically in paper form. Storing this information has required many companies to rent additional storage space for documents that cannot be destroyed or must otherwise be retained. Consequently, locating necessary documents from storage files has become a complex, cumbersome and often time-consuming task. If documents or files are misplaced, the chance of finding the desired information is low.
Many companies have digitized their information to store in a database. This information is typically available through a network to facilitate multiple user access. However, data storage and retrieval in the digital age continues to be problematic due to differences in platforms, systems, proprietary formats, and media. These differences make it difficult to effectively store and retrieve large volumes of data. For example, some database management systems are not configured to handle variable length fields to facilitate input of textual data. In addition, use of different software tools for managing database functionality often create compatibility issues. That is, many software components necessary for effective database management typically fall short of performing seamlessly for the user. These problems may require the database to be inactive for repair and maintenance. Any such downtime could considerably affect a company that relies on its database in the normal course of business.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a system and method that simplifies database design and maintenance by offering seamless integration of software tools to effectively store and retrieve data.